Sand feeder



K. S. HOWARD.

SAND FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED nzcms, I9I8.

1 $23,854,, Patented July 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS- SHEET I.

K. S. HOWARD.

SAND FEEDER.

APPLICATION mm DEC.I6. 191s.

Patented July 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

srras KARL s. Hows-n1), on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, assrenoa 'ro COMMUNWEALTH STEEL COMPANY, or s'r. LOUIS, raissounr, a ooaroaarron or NZJVI anasnv.

SAND FEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July ?5, 15322.

Application filed December 16, 1918. Serial No. 267,074.

To aZZ whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL S. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sand Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for feeding mixed molding sand or analogous material to a flask or mold from a hopper or other container.

In the ordinary arrangement of chutes and gates for this purpose it is found that the sand in its passage through a hopper.

of ordinary construction is liable to bridge or become clogged therein, thereby cutting off the supply and rendering the feed irregular and uncertain.

My invention has for its object to insure an unobstructed uniform flow, to regulate the quantity and to vary the direction of the material in passing from the hopper to the mold as required.

It consists in features of novelty as hereinafter described and claimed, references being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, whereon,

Figure 1, is a side elevation of my improved sand feeding apparatus; Fig 2, a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a front view to enlarged scale of the opening and gate forming part of my invention, as seen in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4, a cross section thereof on line 4, a, in Fig. 3.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

My improved sand feeding apparatus consists essentially of a fixed vertically arranged hopper a into which molding sand or like material is dumped by the overhead buckets 1 (indicated by dotted lines), or otherwise, in any desired well-known manner, the hopper a in the present case being preferably rectangular-shaped in horizontal,

section and having its front and rear walls 2 and 3, respectively preferably divergent from the upper receiving end l, to the bottom oroutlet end 5, which is open, the side walls 6 and 7 of the hopper a being preferably parallel and having their bottommembers or edges downwardly inclined from the rear wall 3 toward the front wall 2. Beneath, and practically forming a fio'or to the outlet end 5 of the hopper a, is ar-' rangedpreferably an endless belt or conveyor Z; composed of rubber or other suitable material, which extends for a suitable distance beyond the front wall 2 of the hopper a. and is adapted to travel in a forward direction as indicated by the arrow in Fig. l, at a corresponding inclination to the in clined bottom members or edges of the side walls 6 and '7, the belt Z) passing over front and rear rollers c, 0', respectively, which are axlally mounted and adapted to revolve in bearings 8 and 9 fixed to the framework 10 at each side of the belt I).

In frictional contact circumferentially with the underside of the top run of the belt or conveyor 5 are a plurality of idle rollers 11 which are adapted to support and maintain the alinement ofthe top run of the belt 2'). The rollers 11. are preferably arranged in groups of four, across (see Fig. 2 in which three only of the groups are shown to avoid obscurity in illustration) and at suitable intervals along the belt 6 between its front and rear rollers 0, 0', the rollers 11 of each group being preferably fixed on a spindle 12 which is mounted in two opposite bearings 13 fixed to the framework 10 at each side of the belt Z).

The front roller 0 of the belt or conveyor Z) is preferably rotated by aworm 1a which is fixed on the shaft 15 of an electrically operated (or other suitable) motor d mounted on the framework 10, the worm llengaging with a worm wheel 1-1 fixed on the spindle 16 of the front roller 0.

Fixed on, and preferably part-way across, the outer side or face of the belt 7) at its middle portion are a :)lurality of preferably, angle cleats e at equal intervals for the entire length of the belt Z), the edges of the outwardly projecting legs of the cleats e being approximate to but clear of the bottom member or edge of the rear wall 3 of the hopper a when passing thereunder in the operation of the belt 5.

Through the front wall 2 of the hopper a at-the bottom, and for a suitable height therefrom, is formed an opening or gateway 17 through which the material passes from the hopper a as hereinafter more particularly described. In front of the'opening 17 is a gate 17 which is slidable in guides 18 projecting from the side walls 6 and 7 of the hopper (2, whereby the gate 1'? can be movedupward or downward for increasing or diminishing the size of the opening 17, the

laeassa gate 17 being locked in the desired position by means of bolts 19 fixed to the front wall 2 of the hopper a and projecting through corresponding slots in the gate 17, the bolts 19 having nuts 19' which are tightened against the outside of the gate 1?.

Depending from the framework 10 beneath the front roller 0 of the belt Z) is a chute for receiving the material conveyed from the hopper a by the belt Z) as hereinafter more particularly described.

The chute f in the present case is preferably rectangular-shaped in horizontal sec tion and made in two parts or sections viz: an upper part 20 and a lower extended part 21, having respectively downwardly converging walls or sides, the lower part 21 being adapted at its upper end to receive the bottom end portion of the upper part 20 to which the lower part 21 is pivoted by pins (Fig. 2) projecting externally from two opposite sides of the upper part 20, so that the lower part 21 is free to be moved by the operator in either direction radially to its pivots 22.

Projecting outwardly from two opposite sides respectively of the upper part 20 at the top is a trunnion 23 which is mounted in a bearing 241 fixed to the framework 10, whereby the chute f is pivotally supported beneath the front roller 0 of the belt or conveyor Z) and free to be moved in either direction radially to the trunnions 23, it being here particularly noted that the center line passing through the trunnions 23 is at right angles to that through the pins 22 by which the lower part 21 of the chute f is pivoted to the upper part 20, whereby the lower extended part 21 of the chute f can be moved in two different directions at right angles to each other.

To the, outside of the upper part 20 of the chute f, preferably to the side thereof farthest from the motor 1d, and clear of the belt 7) and its appendages, is fixed by a bracket 25 (or otherwise) an arm 9 which is in parallel alinement longitudinally with the chute f and extends for a suitable distance beyond the pivoted top of the upper part 20, and on the arm 9 is adjustably fixed a counterbalance weight 26 which is out of center, or overhangs the arm 9 at one side thereof, so that, when the chute f is not in use and released by the operator, the weight 26 will return the arm 9 and chute finto the'position to out of the way, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Attached to the outside of preferably the lower part 21 of the chute f near the top, and connected with the motor (Z by wires 27 is an electrical starting box or controller 2' of well known construction which is adapted to vary the speed of the motor (Z and belt or conveyor Z).

The controller 2' is preferably operated by a rod 28 extending down ward therefrom and having a handle 29 within reach of, and controlled by, the operator, so that the volume of sand conveyed by the belt Z) to the chute f and thence to the flask 7t can be regulated as required. The controller 2' is also provided with a spring device (not shown) whereby the rod 28 with its handle 29, when released, is returned to its normal position.

To the lower part 21 of the chute f near its bottom or delivery end are fixed handles 81 by which the operator can move the chute f radially to the pivots 22 and 28, as indicated by dotted lines, according to the required distribution of the sand from the chute into the flask it.

In operation, mixed molding sand being dumped into the hopper (Z by the buckets 1 and falling on to the belt or conveyor Z2 between its cleats e thereon, rotation is imparted to the motor (Z, which causes the upper run of the belt or conveyor Z) with its cleats c to travel forward from the hopper (a in the direction indicated by the arrow in. Fig. 1, and in so doing the sand within the hopper (a which falls between the passing cleats e is separated. from the superincuinbent bulk of the sand and removed from the hopper (1, through the opening 1'? in its front wall 2, and thence carried forward by the belt Z) and du iped into the upper part 20 of the chute 7 from which it passes downward through the lower part 21 and thence into the flask lb, or for other use as the case may be.

The volume or quantity of sand successively removed by the cleats e from the hop per (L is practically limited to the length and space between the cleats 6 when the gate 17 of the opening 17 is so adjusted as to allow clearing distance only for the passage of the cleats c therethrough, the volume of sand passing through the opening 17 being in creased when desired by raising the gate 17.

Furthermore, by varying the speed of the motor (Z, and with it that of the belt or conveyor Z), the rate of the discharge of the sand from the chute can be increased or reduced at pleasure.

By my invention an uniform flow of the material from the hopper a is insured and its volume and speed of delivery regulated exactly as required; also, by inclining the belt or conveyor downward from the hopper the weight of the sand thereon will assist the motor in moving the conveyor and economize power.

I claim 1. In a sand feeder, a supply hopper, a conveyor forming the floor .of said hopper and extending outwardly therefrom, a vertically disposed discharge chute at the end of said conveyor, and means adapting said chute to distribute material to any desired point in a substantial horizontal area.

2. In a sand feeder, a supply hopper, a

conveyor forming the floor of said hopper and extending outwardly therefrom, and a discharge chute at the end of said conveyor and formed in two sections, one section pivoted to swing in a vertical plane and the other section pivoted to said first-mentioned section to swing in a vertical plane at right angles to said first mentioned plane.

3. In a sand feeder of the character described, the combination of a hopper having its outlet end inclined downward and forward from the rear of the hopper, a conveyor adapted to form the floor of the hopper at a corresponding inclination to its said end and extending beyond the front wall thereof, a support for the conveyor, means for operating the conveyor, a chute adapted to receive material from the conveyor and provided with a discharge opening having universal movement so as to distribute the material over a substantial horizontal area, and means controlled by the operator for regulating the speed of the conveyor.

l. In a sand feeder of the character described, the combination of a hopper having its outlet end inclined downward and forward from the rear of the hopper, a conveyor adapted to form the floor of the hopper at a corresponding inclination to its said end and extending beyond the front wall thereof, a support for the conveyor, means for operating the conveyor, cleats projecting from the conveyor and adapted to co-operate therewith for removing material from the hopper, means for varying the quantity of the material discharge from the hopper, a chute adapted to receive the material from the conveyor and provided with a discharge opening having universal movement over a substantial horizontal area, and means under control of the operator for regulating the movement of the conveyor.

5. In combination, a supporting frame, a supply conveyor mounted thereon, a discharge hopper at the end of said conveyor suspended from said frame on horizontal trunnions, and a discharge chute suspended from said hopper on horizontal pivots, the axes of which extends at right angles to the axes of said trunnions.

6. In a sand feeder, a supply hopper, an inclined conveyor forming the floor of said hopper and extending outwardly therefrom, a discharge hopper pivoted at its top adjacent to the lower end of said conveyor, and a discharge chute pivoted at its top adjacent to the lower end of said hopper, the pivotal axes of said hopper and chute being disposed at right angles to each other.

KARL S. HOWARD. 

